Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Dwight Howard And The Blessing of Life

Repeat post from March 28, 2014: Dwight Howard now has signed with the Atlanta Hawks, and while no longer with the Rockets, I am one fan who wishes him well and still mean everything I said in this post from a couple of years ago. No, Dwight did not win that championship with the Houston Rockets, but he still goes out a winner to me with his "blessing of life."

Dwight Howard - The heart of a champion

As a big Rockets basketball fan, I was very excited along with the rest of Houston fans when the Rockets signed center Dwight Howard as a free agent in July of 2013. The Rockets had just signed the best center in the NBA to go along with another super star of the Rockets, James Harden. This dynamic duo would surely be fun to watch, and it has been. The Rockets are now one of the best teams in the NBA with a legitimate chance to fight for an NBA Championship. But more than just acquiring a great basketball player, our city of Houston has been blessed to have a great man join us. That may be surprising to some because when Dwight decided to sign with the Rockets [especially over his previous team, the Lakers] there was a lot of negative talk that came out about Dwight. You could read comments on twitter that Dwight was a loser, he was selfish, he would be a negative on the team, and he didn't care enough about winning. Those descriptions about Dwight could not be further from the truth. None of them apply to this gentleman. Dwight Howard is a winner, a team player and a big positive to the team, on and off the court.There is one main reason that the last description of Dwight Howard, that he didn't care enough about winning, came about. That is because before the game, during the game and after the game, you will always see Dwight with a smile on his face. Many basketball fans have taken that to mean he just doesn't care. If only they knew the real reason Dwight always has a smile and a positive attitude, even in defeat. It has nothing to do with Dwight not caring about the game, as he hurts as much as anyone else on the team when they lose a game. It has to do with life itself.

Dwight's parents, Dwight Sr. and Sheryl

You see Dwight has wonderful Christian parents. This from Wikipedia: "His father [Dwight Howard Sr.] is a Georgia State Trooper and serves as Athletic Director of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy, a private academy with one of the best high school basketball programs in the country, while his mother [Sheryl Howard] played on the inaugural women's basketball team at Morris Brown College." From Dwight's local TV show in Houston, he stated how his mother lost 7 children through miscarriage. Think of that, she lost 7 children, yet remained a devout woman of faith, a devout Christian woman.Then Dwight told us [on his local TV show] how he was 2 months premature and they told Dwight's parents that he probably wouldn't make it. When he was born, he was so tiny, his father could hold him in his hand. God Blessed this good Christian family and Dwight grew strong and healthy and grew from that tiny baby to a big man. Dwight then said on his TV show with emotion, "I wasn't supposed to be here, I wasn't supposed to be here, I wasn't supposed to be here." And this is the reason that Dwight Howard is always smiling. It has nothing to do with not caring about the game, but everything to do with just being blessed by God to be alive here at the game. This is probably also the reason, along with the fact that his parents are strong Christians, that Dwight is such a devout Christian. Think of that, every time Dwight Howard wakes up in the morning, it is with the realization he isn't supposed to even be here. Wouldn't you smile too? We are all blessed every time God gives us another day of life, but it has to be especially so for Dwight Howard. This is a man who truly appreciates the blessing of life, and he was blessed to have such beautiful parents who also appreciate that blessing.And that is the rest of the story that isn't always, if ever, told about this true gentleman. Dwight also donates his time interacting with kids in Houston, encouraging and teaching them and showing them his big smile. That is why as Dwight Howard smiles, the city of Houston smiles with him.I don't know if the Rockets will win the championship this year or in the future with Dwight Howard, but I do know, whether they win that championship or not, the Rockets and city of Houston have a champion of life in Dwight Howard. That will supplant anything that happens on the basketball court.Tales wishes a belated welcome to Houston, Dwight. Every blessing to you and your family.